Properties of graphite

Question 1

Appearance of graphite

Answer 1

Non-lustrous, grey crystalline solid, dark grey to black, opaque, soft

Question 2

Melting and boiling point of graphite

Answer 2

Graphite has a high melting point because it needs a lot of energy to break down the network of strong covalent bonds

Question 3

Graphite’s solubility in water

Answer 3

Graphite is insoluble in water and in organic solvents because the network of covalent bonds is too strong to allow solvent molecules to form strong enough bonds with individual atoms

Question 3

Graphite’s electrical conductivity

Answer 3

Graphite conducts electricity because it is made up of carbon and carbon has four electrons on its valence shell to use in bonding. In graphite, only three of those electrons are used to form covalent bonds. The fourth carbon electron in each atom is free to move around the layers thus being able to carry an electric charge

Question 4

Uses of graphite

Answer 4

• Graphite is used in the making of lead in pencils
• Graphite is one of the main ingredients in lubricants like grease.

-Graphite can be used to make graphene sheets which are said to be 100 times stronger and 10 times lighter than steel

-Graphite can absorb fast-moving neutrons so it is used in nuclear reactors to stabilize nuclear reactions

-Natural graphite is processed into synthetic graphite which is used in lithium-ion batteries

Crystalline flake graphite is used in the manufacturing of carbon electrodes, brushes, and plates needed in dry cell batteries and the electrical industry.